Gas inflated airship



June 12, 1928.

` L. DRR

GAS INFLATED AIRSHIP Filed July 25, 1927 2 sheets-sheet 2 [mie/MW:

Patented June 12, 1928.

`UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE'.-

IJUDWIG DRR, 0F FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR TO LUFTSCHIFFIBAU ZEPPELIN GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRNKTER HAFTUNG, OF FRIEDRICHVSHAFEN,

BOD'ENSEE, GERMANY.

GAS-INFLATED AIRSHIP.

Application filed. July 25, 1927, Serial No. 208,142, and in Germany August 23, 1926.

My invention relates to gas inflated airships and has special reference to such airships of this kind which are provided with a more or less rigid hull. n

It is an object of my invention to facilitate the possibility of inspecting and watching the gas cells inserted in the hull of such ships. vThis inspection while on the ground andalso when under way becomes of special importance when two kinds of gases are contained in the hull. Lately it has been proposed to use a gaseous fuel for driving the motors instead of gasoline, so that it will be necessary to provide for storage space for the fuel gas in addition to the gas space for thelifting gas. For this purpose it has been designed to have two gas cells, one above the other, in a compartment of the airships hull. Transverse'members subdivide the hollow inneihull space into such compartments. These transverse members nreneially are called rings and consist of a circumferential structure from rigid members stayed by inner braces forminga kind of bulkhead.

According to my invention the inner bracing of such rings which may be wire bracing for instance is so arranged that at a certain height from the bottom there are one or more crossing points adapted to support loads. rlhisnieans that the bracing is ydesigned so that it may transmit forces resulting from such loads to the upper ring portions against which the lifting forces of the lifting gas bear. To thesecrossing points are hung oi' otherwise fastened cat walk portions forming rigid structures reaching from one bulkhead to another. At its forward and rear end this cat walk is connected t0 the hull structure. It will bia/advisable to arrange `the individual cat walk portions in their relative position so as to forni one continuous element, but it is possible to shift one portion or another vertically or laterally, as cicunistances may require. -'l`liere may be one or more such cat walk portions inserted in one compartment. The length of one portion may be equal to the distance between two4 adjacent transverse ring meinbers or it may extend over several compartthrough the airshipshull. Such a rope or cable will also be fastened to the crossing point or points of the inner ring bracing which it meets.

Another main feature of niy invention is the fact thatthe cat walk foi'n'iing a-longitudinal element within the hull does not traverse the'iniier gasspace of a gas cell but constitutes a connecting member between the. inner bracings of two neighboring rings againsty which the walls of the gas ycell or gas cells can bear.

I prefer to arrange the cat walk at such vertical distance from the bottoni of the airsliip hull that ittraverscs tliecoinpartment at about the plane where 'theupper and the lower gas cells meet. In one of the rings stairs or the like may be provided for the purpose of getting access to the cat walk from below where the `usual longitudinal keel structure or gang way may have its place. v

Such cat Walk between the two gas cells affords the desired opportunity of inspecting the gas cells especially with regard to their state of inflation and of watching their walls as `to the occurrence of rips, holes or the like. It may be advisable to provide for a kind of rope crane or the like connecting the cat walk structure to an adequate longitudinal element at the inner circumference of the hull, or a kind of net may be `provided between the walls of the gas cells. Such rope or net will serve for further facilitating the Apossibility of inspecting the gas'cell walls. 'i n The cross section of the cat walk structure may be of any shape but it shouldibe so that the structureis safe against compression stresses which may turn up in case therespective `conipartment should run empty from gas inflation, when the neighboring gas cells will tend'to bulge into the empty compartment pressing against the adjacent ring bracings which areto be held at a constant distance from each other by means of iny cat walk structure. i

The crossing points of the ring bracing to which the cat walk structure is fastened accordiiig to my invention may serve also for hanging other-loads to them, as for example,

l lines :for transporting the fuel for thermotors to their containers, be the 'lfuel oll liquid or gaseous character, vand the lines for `distributing` the ballast over the length of the "'airsliip; Il `l1:is"arrangement allo'ivs `for eonjveiii'cir't' Connections to the storing places andthe 'forivard ends et the lines vshouldextend to the bon.7 of the shipgpossibly to a inoorinp';pointf'thus allowing for easy conneeli'onto cin'respo'iiding lines on 'the `ground when l't'h'e ship is n'ioorech' for instance to a nioorin'g'm'astequipped with gas, fuel and ballast `coii'nect-ioiis. Illa ii'i' "frieren a general description of my inveitfo I now Wanttc point it out more in detail referring to thefdraivings `which representexamples embodyingmy invention.

Fig. L `is va diagrammatical longitudinal s :iidiitln'oughan airslii'pl is a crosssectionalview' illustratinffone of the trans verse rings of the a'irship. Figs. 3, l and 5 arev "Cross sections through the airship but re'pres'enthig` different 'examples of the cat ivallr ardthe gas zcellarrangeneen't.

4 The hull of the. airship is made up of'rings a and lngtudinal.girders o. r'lilspmiallyf ieferrin'g toilligythe crossing points of the ring;*bracingl are `designated by the letter` C. tthese Vpoints Ec the eat Walk yportions[el are suspended. There may bepro'vided only diie Vfcrossing point in a ring' bracing Vorv a plurality ot 'theni. In the example 4represented in Fig. Qtvoero'ssin'g points are shr'iirn Whe eas in the example of Fig. 5 one pointiis "thought suicient. By means of cables u a motor car also is suspended from points c. Ballast containers'gl and fuel containers 71, may be suspended 'iii-oni points c also and in like manner.

The ends of thev cat Walk formed by the individual f portions are connectedy to the frame Work oi the 'hull as njiay be seen fromy Figl. The eat lWalk .portions in the forward part o'lj thefairship Vare constructed like piifders Aivhefreas the portions in the rear are designed in a suspension"bridge manner. In'both eases'the dressing; points ein the difierent'i'in'gs @are in direct connection by means of a longitudinal' member i which may form the upper element ot the cat- Walk structure. Lines 7c, are. provided 'Within the cat ivilltand servef'for the purposes described above. "Thefusual gangivay Z' runs longfitudiy nallv the bottom olf'the hull. Y'

` Tn'fligi?) the arrangement oia single gas cellin` one compartment of the hull in conirefrain? bination with the cat Walk is represented( In Fig.` 4 an upper lifting gas cell` In and a loiver` iiuel ,lgashcell n is shown. y The same gas 'ell arrangement applies to'Figj, only the cat Walk has a triangular cross section in contradistinetion tof the other figures -in which its cross `section is or rectangular shape. Between the adiacent walls of cell -m and cell bz a .network o or the like is pro vided Which is supported at one side by the cat Wallestructure (Z aridi'a't tlhie` other by longitudinal girders p.

l' dol not Avant; to be vlimited yto 'the details n deser'ibml or shown in the drawings' as many variations will occur 'to those skilled in the art. f

jlvVpha't l lclaim is:

s l: iii'iairship 'comprising a hull mad-'e up o' 'longitudinal' members and oi'braced rings'y said ring 'braciiigfs 'each "having 'crossing point adapted lor suspending' loads there? troni* and" cat `ivall joiti'ons each' extendin''` from one of Isaid rings to another one,` said portions 'beingsuspended from said Crossing (T in.

points 4of Said ringbrae" '2. An airship eoinprisingfa hull LIliade upk or1 lon'gitiidinal'ineinbers and of braced rings',`

. said airship, respectively.

An airship comprising a. lhull made up of longitudinal circumferential nieiiibers and or" ,braced r'inp;sI 4said rings subdividiing said hull intok compartments, a rigid 'member inside ol one oi said vcompartinefntsand eX# tending substantially infthe "longitudinal direetio'n oil saidairship, said 'rigid member lieing independent o1 and spaced apart from, said longitudinal inen'ibe'rs eonneciting corresponding Apoints in the bracing` of 'those two ofl said rings Which form the end Walls oi sa id 1 one compartment.

4T. An airship comprising a hull. made up oi longitudinal eircurnierential members and ot' 'transverse rings having anin'ner bracing, said. rings subdividingysaid hull into compartments, a rigid member 'inside of each'of said compartments and extending longitudinally of said airsh ip,"'said` 'rigid members eonnecting 'corresponding 4crossine,r points of said inner 'ring b'raein'gs, the meinbers in'th'e tboW and stern compartmetsre# spe'ctive'ly, with one end Conneet'ingto said outerhull structure. Y

5. An airship comprising a. hullrnadeup o'i" longitudinal eireiimierential members and of ktransverse Yrings having anY inn'fr bracing, saidjrings subdividing said hfu'llA into compartments, a rigid member inside of each ot' said compartments and extending longitudinally of said airship, said rigid members connecting corresponding crossing points of said inner ring bracings, the members in the bow and stern compartments, respectively, with one end connecting to said outer hull structure; all said inner rigid members together constitutingT one continuous cat walk from the bow to the stern of said airship.

(i. An airship comprising a hull made up of longitudinal circumferential members and of transverse rings having an inner bracing, said rings subdividing said hull into compartments, a rigid member inside of each of said compartments and extending longitudinally of said a-irship, said rigid members connecting corresponding crossing points of said inner ring bracings, the members in the bow and stern compartments, re-

spectively, with one end connecting to said outer hull structure; all said inner rigid members together constituting one continuous cat walk from the bow to the stern of said airship, the bow end of said cat walk forming a mooring point for said airship.

7. An airship comprising a hull made up of circumferential longitudinal members and of transverse rings having an inner bracing, said bracings having special crossing points adapted to have loads suspended therefrom; and a plurality of suspensionbridge-like structures, said structures being connected to said crossing points.

8. An airship comprising a hull, said hull comprising a transverse ring member having an inner bracing, said bracing having a special crossing point, and loads such as cars, fuel, ballast and the like being suspended from said crossing point.

9. An airship comprising a hull, said hull comprising a transverse ring member having an inner bracing, said bracing having a special crossing point; an inner cat walk structure suspended with one end from said crossing point.

l0. An airship comprising a hull, said hull comprising a transverse ring member having an inner bracing,` said bracing having a special crossing point; an inner cat walk structure suspended with one end t'rom said crossing point; and loads such as cars, fuel, ballast and the like being also suspended from said crossing point.

ll. An airship comprising a hull made up ot circumferential longtudinal members and of transverse rings with inner bracing; said rings subdividing said hull into compartments; one ol' said compartments enclosing an upper and a lower gas cell; and an inner longitudinal member arranged in said compartment between said two gas cells, said member being suspended from and connected to said bracing ot' those two of said rings which form the ends of said one compartment.

l2. An airship comprising a hull made up ot circumferential longitudinal members and of transverse rings with inner bracing; said rings subdividing said hull into compartments; one ot' said compartments enclosmg an upper and a lower gas cell; an inner longitudinal member arranged in said compartment between said two gas cells, said member being suspended from and connected to said bracing of those two of said rings which form the ends of said one compartment; and means for inspecting the adjacent walls of said two gas cells, said means being supported partly by said inner longitudinal member, partly by one ot' said circumferential longitudinal members.

LUDWIG DRR.

Lif

Cil 

